Graham-Windham

TO MAKE A LIFE-ALTERING DIFFERENCE WITH CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES WHO ARE OVERCOMING SOME OF LIFE'S MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES, BY HELPING TO BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR LIFE: A SAFE, LOVING, PERMANENT FAMILY AND THE OPPORTUNITY AND PREPARATION TO THRIVE IN SCHOOL AND IN THE WORLD.

OUR FOSTER CARE PROGRAM PROVIDED CASE PLANNING TO 754 CHILDREN TO ENSURE THEIR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING; TO SUPPORT PARENTS AND HELP THEM DEVELOP PARENTING SKILLS; AND, WHEN PARENTS COULD NOT PROVIDE FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S SAFETY, SOUGHT AN ALTERNATIVE LOVING, PERMANENT FAMILY. WE PROVIDED: FAMILY FOSTER CARE, TREATMENT FAMILY FOSTER CARE, ADOPTION, FOSTER PARENT SUPPORT, AND EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE BIRTH PARENTS OF CHILDREN IN OUR CARE TO STRENGTHEN THEIR CAPACITY, AND OVERCOME BARRIERS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE PREVENT REUNIFICATION. OUR CASE PLANNERS USE THE EVIDENCE-SUPPORTED MODELS SOLUTION-BASED CASEWORK AND MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING, ENGAGE FAMILIES IN THE INFANT HOME VISITING PROGRAM ATTACHMENT AND BIO-BEHAVIORAL CATCH-UP (ABC), AND IDENTIFY MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AND PARTNER WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC WITH THE PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY PLUS MODEL. AS A RESULT OF THESE INTERVENTIONS, THE PROGRAM WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY REUNITE 101 CHILDREN WITH THEIR FAMILIES, AND COMPLETED 15 ADOPTIONS AND LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP PLACEMENTS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD. WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS THE HIGHEST PERFORMING OF 26 FOSTER CARE PROGRAMS IN NEW YORK CITY FOR HELPING CHILDREN LEAVE FOSTER CARE TO REUNIFY WITH THEIR PARENTS AFTER 24 MONTHS AND THE TOP-RANKED FOSTER CARE PROGRAM IN NEW YORK CITY FOR HELPING TO FACILITATE ADOPTIONS AND LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP.COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORTS INCLUDE PREVENTIVE SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AT RISK OF HAVING ONE OR MORE OF THEIR CHILDREN PLACED INTO 24-HOUR CARE. USING THE EVIDENCE-SUPPORTED SOLUTION-BASED CASEWORK AND MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING MODELS, 784 FAMILIES RECEIVED IN-HOME PREVENTIVE CASE PLANNING TO HELP THEM SAFELY CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND KEEP THEIR FAMILIES TOGETHER AND STABLE. 98.8% OF THE FAMILIES THAT GRADUATED FROM OUR PREVENTIVE PROGRAM REMAINED TOGETHER.

THROUGH OUR FAMILY SUCCESS INITIATIVE, FAMILY COACHES HELP PARENTS DEVELOP THEIR PARENTING SKILL SETS AND CONNECT WITH A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY. FAMILY COACHES MEET ONE-ON-ONE TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT TO PARENTS IN INTENSELY STRESSFUL SITUATIONS, INCLUDING STRUGGLES WITH HOMELESSNESS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND POVERTY. PARENTS ARE WORKING TOWARDS REUNIFYING WITH CHILDREN WHO ARE IN FOSTER CARE OR DEVELOPING NEW STRATEGIES TO KEEP THEIR FAMILIES SAFE AND INTACT. FAMILY COACHES ALSO LEAD NETWORK SUPPORT GROUPS, VISIT COACHING, PARENTING JOURNEY GROUPS, AND BABY AND ME DEVELOPMENTAL PLAYGROUPS WHERE PARENTS DEVELOP SKILLS AND PROVIDE AND RECEIVE PEER SUPPORT. IN FY2022, WE SERVED 168 PARENTS THROUGH DIRECT COACHING, PARENTING JOURNEY ABD DEVELOPMENTAL PLAYGROUPS.OUR GRAHAM SLAM COACHING PROGRAM HELPS OLDER YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS 11 TO 26 YEARS OLD, MANY OF WHOM ARE OR HAVE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE, FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, ACHIEVE POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING, AND ENTER A PATHWAY TO CAREER SUCCESS. IN FY2022, 370 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE GRAHAM SLAM PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM HAS DEMONSTRATED STRONG RESULTS WITH 74.4% OF 21 YEAR OLDS IN GRAHAM SLAM HAVING GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, COMPARED WITH 24% OF OLDER YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE IN NEW YORK CITY WHO AGED OUT OF CARE.OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL AND PUBLIC HOUSING-BASED AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER CAMPS SUPPORT AND ENGAGED 1,452 CHILDREN, YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH A COMBINATION OF RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING, THE ARTS, ATHLETICS, TUTORING, AND HOMEWORK HELP. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PS/MS 123 IN HARLEM, OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOL PROVIDED SUCCESS MENTORS TO ENGAGE FAMILIES AND IMPROVE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE; AND WE HAVE PARTNERED TO SUPPORT AN EXTENDED LEARNING DAY AND PROVIDED SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY. THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH A PREVIOUSLY LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOL HAS RESULTED IN AN INCREASE IN STUDENT ATTENDANCE AND FAMILY PARTICIPATION AND A DROP IN CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.THE HUNTS POINT O.U.R. PLACE FAMILY ENRICHMENT CENTER, WHICH WELCOMES FAMILIES INTO A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT STRENGTHENS CONNECTIONS BETWEEN NEIGHBORS, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND GIVE BACK, TO LEARN ABOUT AND ACCESS CONCRETE SUPPORTS, AND TO MAKE AND INFLUENCE THE CHANGES THEY WANT TO SEE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THE GOALS OF THE FAMILY ENRICHMENT CENTER ARE TO HELP STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY BONDS, HELP RESIDENTS CONNECT TO RESOURCES THAT HELP AVERT CRISES, AND TO INCREASE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THAT INFLUENCE POLITICAL DECISION-MAKING. IN FY2022, WE SERVED 4,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

GRAHAM WINDHAM'S MEDICAID SERVICES INCLUDE MEDICAID-FUNDED CARE COORDINATION TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO NEED FAMILY-BASED FOSTER CARE. WE PARTNER AND FUND EXTERNAL PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE MEDICAL, DENTAL, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, AND SOME MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN FAMILY-BASED FOSTER CARE. WE ALSO RUN AN ARTICLE 31 CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC THAT PROVIDES MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE AND PREVENTIVE SERVICES WITH GRAHAM WINDHAM, AS WELL AS YOUTH IN THE HARLEM COMMUNITY. WE PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT IN HARLEM, THE BRONX, AND IN BROOKLYN. GRAHAM ALSO DELIVERS HEALTH HOMES CARE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO ANY MEDICAID ELIGIBLE CHILD WHO MEETS ANY OF THE MEDICAL NEED ASSESSMENTS UNDER CHRONIC HEALTH, COMPLEX TRAUMA, SED AND HIV/AIDS. THE PROGRAM ACTS AS THE OVERALL HEALTH ADVOCATES FOR THESE CHILDREN/FAMILIES.